Cops: Body found near missing Ariz. girl's home

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. - Search teams looking for an 8-year-old Arizona girl discovered a body near her home Wednesday but did not immediately identify the person as the missing child.

However, Bullhead City police Chief Brian Williamson said, "Police are working very hard to find the person responsible for this crime."

He said the unidentified body was discovered around noon and would be turned over to the medical examiner's office. Williamson said authorities could not confirm that the body is that of Isabella "Bella" Grogan-Cannella.

He declined any questions at a news conference regarding the search for the girl with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. Isabella's family reported her missing before dawn Tuesday from their home in Bullhead City, a city of about 40,000 people along the Colorado River some 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

The child was last seen around 11:40 p.m. Monday, and police were called around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when she was discovered missing from her bed, reports CBS Las Vegas.

Investigators found no signs of a break-in or struggle at the home but haven't ruled out abduction. Dozens of police, firefighters and volunteers have fanned out in Bullhead City neighborhoods, nearby parks and river areas to look for Isabella.

She was last seen wearing a green, ruffled, sparkly tank top and dark shorts, and may have been barefoot. She is 4 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 85 pounds. Isabella's family told police she wasn't in her bed or anywhere near the home early Tuesday.

Her mother told authorities it would be unusual for Isabella to run away or leave without telling an adult, police spokeswoman Emily Fromelt said. The residents of the home include Isabella's mother, stepfather and other children who are not Isabella's siblings, said police Lt. Jerry Duke.

He added that Isabella's biological father is not in the area. Williamson said about 100 officers and investigators were working on the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Bullhead City Police at (928)763-1999.